Aleksandra Polak-Sopinska

The Role of the Lifelong Learning in Logistics 4.0

Technological advances and information technologies, which accelerate quickly, affect the continually changing shape of the modern economy. Changes in the technosphere and infosphere implicate the changes in social sphere. Therefore, logistics will need highly skilled workers. Moreover, exchange of roles in logistic systems is being predicted, which leads to the transfer of part of the executive work to the computer systems. This causes the necessity of lifelong learning and adapting to a new situation. The objective of this paper is to present the analysis of the role of the lifelong learning in the logistics 4.0. The paper presents the results of the analysis of the key competences needed by all groups of employees: blue-collar workers, specialist and managers.

Physical Work Intensity of In-Plant Milk Run Operator. Part II – Case Study

The article presents the outcomes of the project carried out in selected production plant that aim was to implement changes in the work process of the in-plant milk run operator. The assumptions of the project was that all Polish standards concerning the effective energy expenditure for physical work involving lifting and moving objects are met and operator tasks will be adapted to the physical ability of mature workers. The project has been carried out in 6 stages. The effective energy expenditure prior to and after the changes was determined through the measurement of pulmonary ventilation conducted with an MWE-1 energy expenditure meter and the G. Lehmann’s estimation method. The findings of research indicate that milk run operator work can be very hard or even illegal in Poland. In order to decrease the level of energy expenditure it is necessary to implement work-facilitating solutions, including automation and robotization of workplaces.

Physical Work Intensity of In-Plant Milk Run Operator. Part I - Guidelines for Assessment

In European norms and standards, information about maximum weight and maximum force can be found, but there is lack of unified regulations about maximum admissible energy expenditure during work. The paper presents the intensity of physical work, especially physiological guidelines for energy expenditure assessment. Moreover, there are presented polish legal requirements for energy expenditure assessment, which can be treated as general good practices for energy expenditure assessment for blue-collar jobs in logistics sector. The goal of the paper is to present the guidelines for the energy expenditure assessment for in-plant milk run operator.

Modelling Formation of Attitudes to Change

The article presents the results of analyses the objective of which was to determine a method of description of employee attitudes to change. The analyses were conducted during the process of implementation of changes to the organization of workstations in order to improve their ergonomics. Such a model is prerequisite for analyzing the dynamics of change implementation in the organization and should have the following characteristics: it should be unambiguous, adequate, complete and disjunctive. The phenomena analyzed in the study had not been thoroughly researched or described in literature. Neither engineering assumptions nor the possibility of controlling social phenomena during the implementation process is taken into account in the currently existing theories of organizational change in the social and management sciences. Therefore, sociological exploration appeared to be the only way to discover the specific character and regularity of the examined processes. The research and analysis strategy is based on the methodology of the grounded theory. Estimations of individual factors and their subsequent comparison make it possible to identify the direction and the pace of the formation of employee commitment to organizational change.

Beyond Imaging - Interactive Tabletop System for Tomographic Data Visualization and Analysis

This paper presents an innovative endeavour towards more efficient and convenient analysis of large, complicated numerical datasets, such as the results gathered through electric capacitance process tomography. The proposed solution employs the approach of utilising interactive tangible displays for more efficient and appealing data visualisation. The ultimate goal was to deliver a tool which could not only enhance the analyst’s performance, but also enable deriving supplementary observations and conclusions. The objective was obtained through implementing the system onto the tabletop display, which may be operated as an interactive table or a desktop touchscreen. The solution was tested in action through the series of industrial task experiments, to be completed using various setups of the system. The results of the post-exercise surveys show that the best performance is obtained using the inclined tabletop display. The classic table approach was rated as relatively inconvenient, while providing fair effectiveness. The seated-user desktop display was rated to be neither comfortable nor satisfactorily functional.

The Concept of Teaching Modeling and Simulation of Manufacturing Systems

The paper describes advantages of teaching and application of modeling manufacturing systems. Two paradigms of modeling: Discrete Event (DE) and System Dynamics (SD) are briefly presented and compared. A few possibilities of teaching these approaches worldwide are presented. Furthermore, a combined way of teaching these two methods, with a focus on the modeling and simulating selected basic processes of manufacturing systems, is proposed in briefly described exercises. The concept provides division of this method depending on student’s education level.

Dynamics of Resistance in the Change Process

The article presents the results of identification of dynamics of behaviour in response to introducing changes. The aim of the considerations was to determine the strength of resistance to changes. Identification of dynamics was performed through analysis of reaction of a given subsystem to implementation (extortion) of changes. A set of extortions applied upon realising processes of implementing changes in the studied organisations is presented in the article. Observation of effects achieved by a given object was the basis for determining dynamic parameters of the analysed object. The resistance was identified as a decrease in effectiveness of work of a given part of the organisation in the form of a significant decline of the curve illustrating a reaction of the system to change.

Challenges for Logistics Education in Industry 4.0

Logistics 4.0, as well as Industry 4.0 is setting high demands on the education process, as logistics will need highly skilled workers. Not only specialists, but also operational workers will soon perform mainly organizational and conceptual tasks. This causes the necessity of adapting educational process to a new situation. The objective of this paper is to present the analysis of the challenges for logistic education. In research, the selected logistic companies and universities in the Lodz Region in Poland were investigated. There were conducted: Individual In-depth Interview with companies and universities representatives, survey with employed on logistics work positions and analyses of logistics study programs. The research was conducted in the Lodz Region, which is predestined for the development of logistics, because of its central location and developing road infrastructure. The paper presents the results of an analysis of the requirements for education in Logistics 4.0.

Human Factor in Maintenance Management

Industry 4.0 poses new challenges in the approach to maintenance management. Large amounts of data and information must be properly interpreted and analyzed in a short period of time. Mastering complex maintenance system requires employees to have extensive specialist knowledge. In the fourth industrial revolution the dominant role is played by shaping the human-machine interface. Currently, maintenance employees make decisions based on their previous experience, while in the future decisions will be made with computer support. It is only in practice that what kind of human interference will dominate. The question is whether employees operating automated systems, they will be able to gain the knowledge needed to predict emergency situations and solve problems? The article presents potential challenges and competences for the employees of maintenance in Industry 4.0 and prospects of trainings raising professional qualifications.

Employment Opportunities for Mature Age People in the Electrical Sector in Lodz Voivodeship in Poland

The retirement age reform of 2013 extended the time of mandatory economic activity. Coupled with a difficult situation of mature age people in the job market, it necessitates developing an employment policy for people over 50’. An analysis of employment opportunities for mature age people in various sectors should constitute the basis for its development. It would allow for proper selection and direction of activities supporting employment of mature age people (subsidizing, counseling, trainings etc.). In the pilot study, organizations in Lodz Voivodeship were analyzed. Many sectors were examined, however, due to the constraints on the length of the article, only the results for the electrical job sector are presented and compared with the entirety of the studied organizations. Current employment of people age 50+’, demand for mature age employees, actions in the job market for professional activation and employability of people over 50 years of age and adjustment of work conditions of typical occupations in the electrical sector to the needs and capabilities of mature age people were studied in the article. Further, the article provides an answer to the question whether people aged 50 and over are motivated to work and learn. Methodological triangulation was employed in the analysis in order to achieve a comprehensive picture of the phenomenon and to increase the scientific insight of the research results.